Avro 626

NZ203

(Air Ministry no. 811)

This aircraft is one of four bought by the RNZAF in 1935 and shipped to New Zealand
aboard the ship Middlesex. It arrived in Lyttelton in September 1935 and was
allocated to Wigram where it served with No. 1 Flying Training School. It was
withdrawn from flying in 1943 and converted to instructional airframe (INST90)
and issued to the Hastings Air Training Corps squadron. It remained there until being
disposed of by the War Assets Realisation Board and purchased by Mr J Frogley and
registered as ZK-APC in 1948. In 1965 the registration was cancelled (although it had
not flown since 1958) and the aircraft put into storage at Havelock North.

Purchased by the Museum in 1980, NZ203 was restored to flying condition at RNZAF
Base Ohakea where its first post-restoration flight took place on 8 July 1985. Moving
to Wigram the aircraft became a part of the RNZAF Historic Flight until an engine
malfunction grounded it. It is now owned by the Museum and is displayed in the
Aircraft Hall.